Charles E. C.'s Passions

Charles E. C.'s Bio

Familiarity:
I returned this product before using it

Pretty decent looking shorts, esp if you're in search of the "bike shorts that don't look like bike shorts" category. I ended up returning these as I ordered a 32", but these fit more like a 34" or bigger even. I also had some yeti shorts on order which I was more than happy with - otherwise I would have ordered a smaller size in these.

Familiarity:
I've used it several times

I'd been looking for "slim-ish" shorts (ie: not too baggy, and obviously not lycra) for riding for a long time. I was worried that these were going to be too long, and thought the price was fairly high for a pair of mtb shorts. I also like having shorts that I can use in the gym, for climbing, etc. . . . .

I have to say that these are pretty amazing, even considering the high price. The material was thinner than I anticipated, but still feels surprisingly durable. The material is also quite elastic - turns out these are great shorts for yoga, the gym, etc. The fit is definitely on the slimmer side, but not negatively so - it's cut for athletics, and won't be flapping around at all - great in my opinion.

Fair warning - there is one small pocket on these shorts - and it's a "in the small of the back" pocket. I do miss having a pocket in the regular place for keys or my phone (when using these for gym use), but honestly - they're so comfortable and functional that it has been forgiven. I bought these and the Teller shorts at the same time - the tellers have pockets and cargo pockets which trumps these in terms of functionality, but these are slightly more comfortable in the gym and on the bike. Your call.

I have a bit of a skinny, but tall head, and have been wearing your standard XC/roady looking helmets for years. On rides longer than an hour or two, the standard XC helmets would start digging into the very peak of my head - not a great feeling for those all day rides. Also, they always sat on my head like an oversized carbon fiber zit. Yay.

Anyways, I wanted to try a helmet with more coverage and a different style - and this one was perfect. I ended up with the Sm/Md size after trying both sizes on. The large size was comfortable, but left too much room around the sides of my head. Styling - love it. Great shape to the helmet, good coverage around the ears/back of head. Also, I got the silver shown above - but something must have been wrong w/ the photo shoot because my helmet is more white and lighter silver than the photos show - which is great, cause it helps reflect the sun better, and looks fantastic.

Anyways, I had to order another helmet because my wife stole mine.

In summary, this helmet is comfortable (comes with 2 different size pads to help adjust to your noggin) and does not have your typical band that tightens. I wore it on a 4 hour ride in hot sun, moderate temps (80s) and did not think this was any warmer than my XC style helmet (I was still sweating like a pig, but that's me regardless). Styling - looks awesome, no more zit head! Cost - great. This was about half the price of my last Specialized helmet, and fits/looks much better.

I would say if you are on the fence, order it and try it. If it doesn't fit . . .send it back. I was very pleased with this purchase, and so was my wife.